The U.S. police are not longer entitled to absolutely any respect or presumption of innocence anymore. They are, quite literally, trained highwaymen:
The stop of the gamblers in Iowa on April 15, 2013, illustrates some of the highway interdiction methods in use nationwide. Earlier
that morning, an officer in Illinois alerted an Iowa trooper to a
suspicious red car with Nevada license plates driving west, court
records show. When the Altima appeared in Iowa, Trooper Simmons followed
it for several miles before pulling it over. He told the motorists that
they had been stopped for failing to signal when they passed a black
SUV.Simmons said he was issuing a warning for the failure to
signal. After handing over the paperwork, he said the stop was over.
Then he asked the driver, Newmerzhycky, if he had “time for just a
couple quick questions.”Police who specialize in highway
interdiction use casual conversations to avoid triggering legal
questions about the length of stops. If the conversations are
consensual, courts consider the added delay to be legal.Highway
police are trained to use the chats as an opportunity to take stock of
alleged “indicators” of criminal activity, including nervous speech
patterns, a pulsing carotid artery and inconsistencies in stories. They
are also trained to seek permission for warrantless searches.
Notice that the video proved that Trooper Simmons was lying when he told them why he pulled the two gamblers over. They were correct to doubt his veracity and lie to him in return. Never answer a policeman’s questions. Always ask him if you are arrested, and if not, if you are free to go. If you can, video every interaction with them. They are not the good guys. They are, at best, thieves who prey upon the public.